Tagged: metobolic syndrome

Many people are confused by terms their doctors use referring to blood sugar levels. Rightly so, as the “normal” ranges have continually been lowered and lowered. I too, thought it was a scam from the big pharmaceutical companies who relish the idea of everyone being on medications for Type 2 Diabetes. ChaChing, ChaChing go the cash registers. Anyway, after much reading and re-educating myself on the effects of higher than normal ranges for extended amounts of time, has conceded that it is detrimental for people to maintain lower blood sugar levels, and here’s why.

There has been an epidemic, yes, it is now an epidemic, of Type 2 Diabetes among adults, and yes, young adults as well. Beginning in 2007 figures had already been astronomical, 25.8 million people diagnosed, that was 8.3% of the population at a cost of 174 billion dollars a year. What stands out in my mind is that at THAT time, 79 million people (25% of the population) had blood sugar levels in the “high normal” range, which to me is an oxymoron. Mainly because these are the people who today, 2013, have Type 2. I believe it is mainly due to lack of educating these folks on what was important for them to know. Preventing Type 2 is doable. The following information comes from a book by a Dr. Brownstein, who wrote “Balancing Your Blood Sugar” and is a must for Type 2′s who care about helping themselves, and yes, of course, he is trying to sell products, but that is your choice. I find his info helpful for anyone wanting to understand their infliction, or preventit from happening.

Our American diet is such that we overload on simple carbs, fats, sugars, and starches which causes our blood sugar to hit those dreaded “high normals” after our meals, this in turn causes our pancreas to produce and release more insulin to return our blood sugar levels back to normal. Many things come into play here, but simply, the more we allow these ups and downs of our blood sugar, the more we over work our systems of checks and balances. Our bodies like a happy medium, homeostasis, where everything is neutral. Prolonged excess sugar in our system devastates small vessels leading to eyes, kidneys, heart, and even circulation to lower extremities, and this is so gradual, most adults do not realize the damage until it is serious and only THEN do they discover they are Type 2.

Too much insulin is another issue all of it’s own. Once an overload of insulin is released to combat all the glucose in your system, it can do it’s job all too well, causing you to feel weak, tired, sweaty, unable to focus, and cause you to crave more food, so of course we grab whatever sweets are around to fix the fix, which in turn, you guessed it, causes more insulin to be released to correct your correction. If this were a perfect world, our problem would be solved, however, every food we eat gets processed at different speeds,( please refer to glycemic index) some taking much too long to correct your low, so we eat more, causing a higher blood sugar level. This, my friends, is known as the ” Blood Sugar roller coaster”, and unless you understand it, you are in for a ride. Been there, done that!

In my mind, ”pre-diabetic”, ”high normal range”, and “metabolic syndrome” all mean you should restrict yourself from eating as carelessly as you once did, monitor what you put in your meal plan, what you keep around the house to snack on, and increase your activity levels to assist your body’s use of glucose. MOST Type 2 can be prevented, do not allow yourself to accumulate all the visceral fat which leads to poor health.

In order to prevent type 2 diabetes, people should make some basic lifestyle changes. Maintaining good health is one excellent way to guard against an array of adverse health conditions. Men and women who are overweight should first speak with a certified medical professional, who can help them find a path to weight loss and healthy meal planning. People who work closely with a personal trainer should be able to shed those excess pounds. In the process, they will be lessening their chances for diabetes, heart attacks, and cancer. If any of these health issues run in the family, then individuals should be especially careful with their overall health and fitness.

Some experts indicate that incidences of type 2 diabetes are higher among people who eat meat. This does not mean that men and women have to give up meat completely. However, replacing beef and chicken with beans and leafy green vegetables a couple of times per week certainly will not hurt. Nutritionists can supply interested parties with some exact charts that will show people what they should be eating on a daily basis. Leafy greens, in particular, are chalk full of antioxidants, which minimize free radicals within the body and ultimately promote better health. Read more »

A diagnosis of “diabetes” may be over-whelming at first, as it should be. This means a whole new way of life for most, but in a good way. Many I work with in a Health Care facility have said to feel “scared”, “surprised” and/or disbelieving. Why?! It surprises me that in this day and age, if you can read, listen to news, or even pay attention to others, it should not be a shock to learn you are in danger of this diagnosis if you do not pay attention to your diet. If you are over weight, especially around the abdomen, (Metabolic Syndrome) if you eat food with a longer ingredient list than a short novel, with words you cannot pronounce, then you should not eat it. We Americans eat whatever is within our reach, which is usually not the healthy food. If it can be left out without danger of spoiling, you should ask yourself why? I wonder how much preservative is in this. The answer SHOULD NOT be surprising.

Type 1 diabetes is pretty straight forward, our pancreas stops producing insulin for what ever reason, (popular belief is auto-immune related) to carry the glucose in our blood to our muscles, brain and other areas it is needed. Hence, insulin injections, no other options. Type 2 diabetes, on the other hand, has many causes, but in short, insulin is not assisting in glucose uptake by the cells leading to insulin resistance. Type 2 is not always due to being over weight, there is thought to be a genetic component to Type 2, however, obesity is the most prevalent and easiest one to correct…push away from the table. Others with Type 2 can have poor use of insulin, not enough produced, or simply the pancreas has over-spent its production and can no longer cover the carbs ingested. No matter the reason our bodies have dropped the ball, however, we are still in charge of what we eat and the energy we put out daily to make a change in this diagnosis, lessen the amount of meds needed to lower our sugar, take charge of our own health. Keep in contact with your health care professionals, however, the best medicine for this is education. Be proactive, it’s your life to live and learn. Read all you can, ask other “healthy” diabetics for advice and just keep Moderation in mind when eating. If I had a choice of fixing my diabetes w/diet and exercise rather than an insulin pump 24/7, gee, let’s see, which would I choose?

It takes a bit of effort to avoid a life time of diabetes complications, which will also, but not in a good way, change your life forever. Do the smart thing, learn about your condition, keep journals early on, how different foods affect your BS, how activity lessens your glucose readings, and be aware of how you feel when blood sugars are dropping. Hypoglycemia (low blood sugars) can be a scary feeling, however, easily corrected. These are all things you should learn as a diabetic to stay on top of your game, and stay proactive.